After Gizmodo published its exclusive on the [stolen] iPhone 4.0,
Steve Jobs called Gizmodo and asked for it back.

For a variety of reasons, Gizmodo wanted written proof that the
iPhone was Apple's.

Gizmodo had also recently been
spurned by Apple (in the iPad media blitz). In a
follow-up email to Steve, Brian mentioned this as a reason he
had pursued the iPhone story so hard. He also explained why
Gizmodo wasn't willing to hand the phone back without a formal
request from Apple.

Brian's email certainly raises the question whether Gizmodo would
have published the iPhone story if Apple hadn't
dissed the site when it sent shiny new iPads to old-media
tech gods Walt Mossberg and David Pogue, among others.

Given that Apple has successfully dissuaded old media
organizations from reporting stories like this (in exchange for
shiny new iPads?), it also raises the question of whether the
world's better off with Apple dissing Gizmodo. There's
certainly plenty of "access-for-favorable-coverage" journalism
around. The world doesn't need any more of it.